Today In History [3rd August, 2015]

A chronological timetable of historical events that occurred on this day in history. Historical facts of the day in the areas of military, politics, science, music, sports, arts, entertainment and more. Discover what happened today in history.

Today in History
August 3

1347		Six burghers of the surrounded French city of Calais surrender to Edward III of England in hopes of relieving the siege.
1492		Christopher Columbus leaves Spain on his voyage to the new world.
1546		French printer Etienne Dolet, accused of heresy, blasphemy and sedition, is hanged and burned at the stake for printing reformist literature.
1553		Mary Tudor, the new Queen of England, enters London.
1610		Henry Hudson of England discovers a great bay on the east coast of Canada and names it for himself.
1692		French forces under Marshal Luxembourg defeat the English at the Battle of Steenkerke in the Netherlands.
1805		Mohammed Ali becomes the new ruler of Egypt.
1807		The trial of Aaron Burr begins. He is accused of plotting the secession of New England.
1864		Federal gunboats attack but do not capture Fort Gains, at the mouth of Mobile Bay, Alabama.
1882		Congress passes the Immigration Act, banning Chinese immigration for ten years.
1908		Allan Allensworth files the site plan for the first African-American town, Allensworth, California.
1911		Airplanes are used for the first time in a military capacity when Italian planes reconnoiter Turkish lines near Tripoli.
1914		Germany declares war on France.
1916		Sir Roger Casement is hanged for treason in England.
1945		Chinese troops under American General Joseph Stilwell take the town of Myitkyina from the Japanese.
1958		The first nuclear submarine USS Nautilus passes under the North Pole.
1967		President Lyndon B. Johnson announces plans to send 45,000 more troops to Vietnam.
1972		Former Beatle Paul McCartney announces formation of his new group, Wings.
1975		Louisiana Superdome dedicated.
1977		Radio Shack unveils TRS-80 personal computer, which with Apple and Commodore would form the "1977 Trinity." Its price and Radio Shack’s established retail outlets made it a bestseller for several years.
1990		US commits naval forces to Persian Gulf region in wake of Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait.
2004		Statue of Liberty’s pedestal reopens to visitors after being closed following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Born on August 3
1867		Stanley Baldwin, British Prime Minister during the general strike of 1926.
1887		Rupert Brooke, English poet who mainly wrote about World War I.
1900		Ernie Pyle, World War II correspondent who wrote about the common soldier.
1905		Maggie Kuhn, social activist and founder of "The Gray Panthers."
1909		Walter Van Tilberg, Western novelist who wrote The Ox-Bow Incident.
1920		P.D. James (Phyllis Dorothy James), British mystery writer.
1924		Leon Uris, writer whose works include Battle Cry and Exodus.
1926		Tony Bennett, singer ("I Left My Heart in San Francisco").
1941		Martha Stewart, business magnate and television personality.